Horton is a rural locality five km east of Childers and 40 km south of Bundaberg. It was one of the first places settled by Europeans in the Isis Scrub.
In 1881 several homestead blocks were selected in the Isis Scrub, land rich in timber and, when cleared, highly fertile for growing sugar cane. Among the first European settlers was William Horton. The area's first church, Methodist, was opened at the future village of Horton. In 1886-87 a railway was built east from Childers, and a hotel and store were opened at Horton. The Horton Provisional School opened in 1888.
William Horton built a sugar-crushing mill at Horton in 1893, but it operated for only two seasons. It was replaced by the Doolbi mill, between Childers and Horton, and within a few years Childers emerged as the commercial centre of the Isis district. Horton's school closed in 1899.
Horton is within a couple of kilometres of the Childers Golf Club and has a mix of farming and rural/residential living.
Horton's census populations have been:
| Census Date | Population |
|---|---|
| 1911 | 235 |
| 1947 | 114 |
| 2006 | 572 |
| 2011 | 397 |
